Where Are They Now? Kate Upton

The 2011 SI Swimsuit Rookie of the Year and repeat cover model is an absolute legend.

Kate Upton / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Model and actress Kate Upton first posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2011, when she earned Rookie of the Year honors. That year, she double-dipped, starring in two different magazine features: one beachside spread in the Philippines, and a secondary bodypaint feature in a New York studio. Upton returned to the fold the following year, and landed back-to-back covers in ’12 and ’13 for her brand features in Australia and Antarctica, respectively. Her third SI Swimsuit cover appearance took place in 2017, after her photo shoot in Fiji.  

For the 60th anniversary issue this year, Upton graced not one but two covers of the 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue: one solo from her photo shoot with Yu Tsai in Mexico, and another group feature alongside fellow brand legends.

Outside of SI Swimsuit, Upton is known for her modeling collaborations with major brands including Bobbi Brown, Express, GUESS, Donna Karan and others. She’s also landed covers on notable publications like Vogue, Shape and Maxim. In addition to modeling, Upton is also an accomplished actress, entrepreneur, wife and mother. 

Below, we’re answering a few of the internet’s most pressing questions about the SI Swimsuit Issue cover star. 

Kate Upton / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kate Upton background

Born on June 10, 1992 to parents Shelley and Jeff, Upton is currently 32 years old. The St. Joseph, Mich., native and her family, including siblings Laura Upton, David Upton and Christie Williams, relocated to Florida during Upton’s childhood. The model stands at 5′ 10″.

Kate Upton movies

Upton made her Hollywood debut in the 2014 film The Other Woman, in which she costarred alongside Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann. Additionally, she had a role in The Layover, also featuring Alexandra Daddario and Matt Barr.

Kate Upton husband

Upton and her husband, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, met in 2012 while filming a commercial together. They hit it off and went public with their relationship in early ‘13. The two dated on and off for a bit before rekindling their romance the following year, and Verlander proposed in 2016. The two tied the knot in Italy in November 2017, and welcomed a child the following year. 

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kate Upton kids

Upton and Verlander are proud parents to their daughter, Genevieve, whom they welcomed in November 2018. The couple occasionally share updates on their life as a happy family of three on social media, but they largely keep their family life private and out of the limelight. 

“Being a mom is, and forever will be, my greatest accomplishment,” Upton wrote on social media platform X in 2021 of parenthood. “I’m so proud to be your mom, Vivi.”

Kate Upton / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Kate Upton business ventures

In addition to her modeling and acting pursuits and life as a mother, Upton is co-owner of Michigan-based beverage brand Vosa Spirits. The canned cocktail brand offers a line of vodka water that comes in flavors including lemon, peach, pineapple and raspberry lime.

“I’ve tried so many products in the space, and none of them really checked all the boxes. I’ve always cared about what ingredients I put in my body, and Vosa brings the highest quality ingredients, with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives,” Upton told Forbes of her choice to join the brand last fall. “As I’ve gotten older and become a mother, what you put in your body affects your health, hormones, mood and hangovers. The better the ingredients, the faster you recover.”

Kate Upton / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Kate Upton Instagram 

Upton often shares life updates, glimpses at her training sessions with Ben Bruno, work sneak peeks and personality pics on Instagram. And as of last fall, she’s also started using TikTok, where she posts similar content. However, both social platforms only show off a fraction of what’s really going on in Upton’s life.   

“I want to be enjoying my life, enjoying my family, not constantly trying to take the perfect picture,” Upton told Editorialist about her relationship with social media. “I think my husband wants me to throw my phone away. We talk about it in the house all the time: ‘Let’s have a phone-free dinner.’ We don’t want [our daughter] thinking being on the phone is all that life is.”